Campaign Issue Spurs An Offer To Resign Post

April 29, 2000|By KAI T. HILL Staff Writer

Caught between his role as the executive director of a Jewish organization and accusations of anti-Semitism from one Hollywood commission candidate to another, Jack Karako was compelled to do what he thought was right.

Shortly after former District 1 candidate Mark Hanna placed an ad in the The Hallandale Digest during the March run-off campaigns that accused his opponent Commissioner Cathy Anderson of being offended by his Jewish heritage, Karako wrote a letter to Hanna asking him to retract his statements because Anderson "supports people of all faiths."

But that decision is what prompted Karako on Friday to voluntarily offer his resignation from the American Jewish Congress southeast regional office, citing that he may have misrepresented the organization.

"I don't want to do anything to hurt the organization," Karako said. "And if that is the case, I would certainly step aside."

Karako, who works from the group's Deerfield Beach office, said he would adhere to any decision made by his superiors in the organization's New York City headquarters. But on Friday the verbal resignation appeared to have little significance to his superiors.

"Mr. Karako works hard and is devoted to civic excellence," said Phil Baum, the AJC's national director. "I have no present intentions of him resigning."

Baum did say, however, that "the letter was unfortunate and done without our knowledge." But he said, "It will never happen again."

Hanna sent a letter to the AJC's headquarters on Monday and said Karako should be held accountable for sending such a letter on behalf of the organization.

"I gave them facts of what happened to clear my name," Hanna said. "Because I know they didn't know anything about it."

Karako said he made a mistake by sending the letter on behalf of the non-profit organization.

"It came from a non-profit organization [and] gave the sense of being more political than it was," Karako said.

Anderson said she is sorry that Karako feels pressured to resign.

"Mark Hanna branded me an anti-Semite and I am still devastated by it and mad as hell," Anderson said.